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Coasters

Supported by Arts Council England’s Strategic Touring Fund, Coasters is a three year project that brings world-class circus and street arts work to targeted coastal towns across England.

Activate is one of 12 partner organisations who have joined with the shared ambition of building relationships with audiences in those coastal areas of lower engagement and alongside this, helping to transform negative perceptions of those coastal towns.

The partnership is led by Seachange Arts in Great Yarmouth, a former partner of ours in the PASS Channel Circus project that enabled us to bring high quality contemporary circus to the UK.

Coasters will see top quality UK and international circus and street arts work programmed in events and festivals around the coast of England. Each Coasters partner will work with their own local partners to build audiences among the lowest engaged, while the project will also look to increase visitor audiences to each location.

Brilliant, exciting, engaging, entertaining and accessible, the work presented will be programmed with the coast in mind – appropriate to, resonant and reflective of coastal locations and audiences.

Already there are creative discussions taking place involving Dorset locations and performance ideas for events planned for 2017.

Activate worked with Lighthouse Poole, the Borough of Poole and Poole Tourism to produce ‘Up In the Air’ a circus and street arts celebration that formed part of Activate's flagship Inside Out Dorset Festival in September, 2016. Artists included the The bBullzini Family, Acrojou, World Beaters, Carre Curieux and Circus Geeks. We also worked with Artsreach and Gillingham School to present Dutch Artists Cirque DuPlatzak in Gillingham and B-Side to present Ray Lee's Chorus in Portland and Weymouth, again as part of Inside Out Dorset Festival. In October we partnered with Bournemouth Arts By the Sea Festival to co-present ‘Coulrophobia’ by Pickled Image as part of their festival programme.

''We received wonderful feedback to show that the work thrilled and delighted our audience and we are pleased to be working within such a strong Coasters partnership.'' Kate Wood, Executive Director, Activate

Partners

Coasters is currently made up of ten partners – arts organisations based in locations around the entire coast of England.

SeaChange Arts, Great Yarmouth

Lead Partner

An independent arts development charity based in Great Yarmouth but collaborating internationally and dedicated to delivering outstanding Circus and Street Arts events including the annual Out There Festival.

Activate Performing Arts, Dorset

Partner

Activate are leaders in outdoor and landscape art, producing, promoting and developing performing arts in Dorset with the belief that artists can affect and provide positive change in our communities.

Freedom Festival, Hull

Partner

Freedom Festival is the flagship arts event within the city’s growing cultural landscape (Hull is UK City of Culture 2017). Now in its ninth year, Freedom Festival celebrates – through artistic and cultural expression – Hull’s independent spirit and historic contribution to the cause of freedom as the birthplace of slave trade abolitionist William Wilberforce.

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Hastings Borough Council

Partner

Hastings Borough Council is a strong supporter of arts and culture, with culture-led regeneration a key priority. It supports Stade Saturdays, a series of free performances on Hastings seafront, and the St Leonards Festival, a two day celebration of culture and community.

Leftcoast, Blackpool

Partner

Leftcoast programme arts and creative activity across Blackpool and Wyre. It produces amazing art – from jaw-dropping spectacles to intimate experiences to inspire and support those who live, work and study there.

Mouth of the Tyne Festival

Partner

Mouth of the Tyne Festival is a four day cultural celebration showcasing the award winning coastline. It features live music, free street entertainment, activities for under 5’s and their parents and a colourful pageant.

Worthing Theatres

Partner

Worthing Theatres is the Connaught Theatre, Studio and Cinema, Pavilion Theatre and Assembly Hall. Working with renowned theatre makers, music promoters and producers throughout the UK and Europe, Worthing Theatres recently launched Summer of Circus the third largest contemporary circus festival within the UK, set to be repeated in 2017 and beyond.

Dreamland, Margate

Associate Partner

Dreamland in Margate is a unique heritage amusement park at the heart of the Thanet tourism economy. It will continue to play a significant role in the regeneration of Margate.

SO Festival

Associate Partner

SO Festival is an exciting and innovative outdoor arts festival that promotes and presents the best festival arts and entertainment across East Lincolnshire, ending with an explosive finale weekend in Skegness.

Theatre Orchard

Associate Partner

Theatre Orchard is an arts development charity that both produces and presents inspiring performance and creative opportunities in a diverse range of places and spaces in North Somerset … and beyond.

and also

Suffolk Coastal and Waveney District Council (together creating East Suffolk Council)